Transcript Background: Large Marine Ecosystems

From Design to Implementation:
the National System
of Marine Protected Areas
Presentation to
Caribbean Fisheries Management Council
Samuel D. Rauch III
Deputy Assistant Administrator for NMFS
March 2009
WWW.MPA.gov
Presentation Outline
• Definition of MPAs
• Background on National System
• Nomination Process
What is an MPA?
Marine Protected Area (MPA) –
any area of the marine
environment that has been
reserved by Federal, state,
territorial, tribal or local laws or
regulations to provide lasting
protection to part or all of the
natural and cultural resources
therein. (Executive Order 13158 of May
26, 2000)
Marine Reserve – “no take” area –
one type of MPA where extractive
uses are prohibited
MPA
National Picture of MPAs
• ~ 1,700 MPAs in U.S. waters
• Hundreds of federal, state and
local MPA authorities
• About 1/3 of US EEZ in some form
of MPA, but purposes narrow
• Majority allow multiple uses (>99%
of MPA area)
• Few prohibit all extractive activities (<1% of MPA area); no
take MPAs are typically very small
• Federal programs manage most area; states manage most sites
Why A National System of MPAs?
• Confusion over MPA types, purposes, and
terms
• About 200 independent legal authorities
• Lack of coordination among MPA
designations and operations
• No existing forum for comprehensive
planning for place-based management
• Lack of consideration of connectivity among
different MPA types
• Missed opportunities to address multiple
management objectives in one MPA
The Driving Force: MPA Executive Order 13158
• Signed by President William J. Clinton in May 2000
• Endorsed by President George W. Bush in July 2001
• DOC/NOAA and Interior are co-Leads
• Develop and implement a scientifically based, comprehensive
national system of MPAs representing diverse U.S. marine
ecosystems, and the Nation’s natural and cultural resources
• Improve MPA coordination, stewardship and effectiveness
Benefits of a National System of MPAs
•
To Participating MPAs
– Enhancing stewardship through regional coordination
– Building partnerships
– Building public & international awareness and support
•
To the Nation:
– Protecting representative ecosystems and resources
– Enhancing connectivity
– Identifying conservation gaps
•
To ocean stakeholders:
– Transparent process for MPA planning
– Better planning for diverse ocean uses
– Better information on MPA resources, uses and fishing
opportunities
What will the National System do?
• Establish national goals and objectives
• natural heritage, cultural heritage and sustainable
production
• 21 Priority Conservation Objectives
• Ensure a comparable set of information about
MPAs across the nation
• Provide regional coordination of existing MPAs
• Identifies common science and stewardship priorities
• Provide tools and technical assistance to enhance
stewardship
• Conduct regional gap analyses to identify priority
areas for potential new or enhanced MPAs
• No new regulatory authority
Criteria for Entry to the National System
• Meets the definition of an MPA
– Key terms: area, marine, reserved, lasting,
protection
• Has a management plan
– Includes site specific information; can be part of a
broader fisheries management plan
• Contributes to a priority conservation objective
of the nation system
• Additional criteria for cultural resources
Priority Conservation Objectives:
Sustainable Production Goal
Goal 3: Advance comprehensive conservation and management of the nation’s
renewable living resources and their habitats, including, but not limited to, spawning,
mating, and nursery grounds, and areas established to minimize incidental by-catch
of species, that are important to the nation’s social, economic, and cultural well-being
through ecosystem-based MPA approaches.
Priority Conservation Objectives for Goal 3
Conserve and manage key reproduction areas, including larval sources and nursery
grounds
Near Term
Conserve key areas that sustain or restore high priority fishing grounds
Conserve and manage key areas for maintaining natural age/sex structure of
important harvestable species
Conserve key foraging grounds
Mid Term
Conserve and manage key areas that mitigate the impacts of bycatch
Conserve key areas that provide compatible opportunities for education and
research
Long Term
Nomination Process:
Coordination with Councils
Regional
Administrators
consult with
Councils
regarding final
nominations
MPA Center
identifies potentially
eligible sites and
invites entities to
nominate
Managing entities
nominate
potential sites
Public notice and
comment
Entities review
comments
Submit final
nominations
NOAA Fisheries and Councils consultation
process
NOAA Regions
review for
corrections
NOAA Fisheries
Sends Letter to
Council with List
Attached
NMFS request
recommendations and
Council takes public
comment at meeting
(1st Council Meeting)
Council votes on
which sites to
recommend
(2nd Council Meeting if
Necessary)
NMFS nominates
potential sites
Accepted MPAs
placed on official
National System
List
Examples of NOAA Fisheries MPAs
North Pacific:
Bering Sea Habitat Conservation Areas = 130,000 nm 2
Steller Sea Lion Protection Areas, Gulf of Alaska - Groundfish,
Pollock, and Pacific Cod Closures = 83,725 km
New England:
Closed Area I = 3,940.44 km & Closed Area II = 6,734 km
Stellwagen Bank/Jeffreys Ledge Restricted Area = 5,271 km
Pacific:
Klamath River Salmon Conservation
Zone = 394.02 km
Big Sur/Port San Luis Bottom Trawl
Closed Area = 10,390 km
Mid-Atlantic:
Mid-Atlantic (Elephant Trunk) Closed
Area = 5,387 km
Southern Mid-Atlantic Waters Closure
Area = 113,534 km
South Atlantic:
Charleston Bump Closed Area = 125,494 km
East Florida Coast Closed Area = 103,448 km
Western Pacific
WestPac Bed = 39.47 km
Hancock Seamount = 61,481 km
Gulf of Mexico:
Tortugas Marine Reserves = 348.86 km
Reef Fish Stressed Area = 99,478 km
Caribbean:
Red Hind Spawning Aggregation Areas = 104.01 km
Mutton Snapper Spawning Aggregation Area = 8.72 km
National System Milestones for FY09
• Initial Nomination Process (Nov-Feb 2009)
– Currently out for public comment – 225 sites responded (www.mpa.gov)
– Aiming for initial membership representing diverse levels of government
and types of MPAs
– NOAA Fisheries Service will consult with Councils and be represented
in future nominations
•
•
•
•
Announcement first National System MPAs: April 2009
2nd Round of Nominations – late 2009
Annual nomination process cycle in future years
Begin coordination with other federal and state MPA sites in the
system
• Develop methodology for first regional gap analysis – West Coast
(CA, WA, OR)
MPA Federal Advisory Committee
• Diverse, stakeholder
committee
• Advises NOAA and DOI on
implementation of national
system
• 30 members
•
– commercial and recreational
fishing
– industry
– natural and social science
– environmental organizations
– states and tribes
Caribbean Members
– Eugenio!
Questions?
A National System of MPAs, collaboratively conserving the nation’s…
Natural
Heritage,
Sustainable Production,
and
Cultural
Heritage.